A Church Must Never Give Antisemitism a Pulpit

The Black church has long been one of America’s most powerful voices against racism, hatred and injustice. Its leaders have stood on the front lines of the struggle for equality and human dignity. That is precisely why what happened on November 1 at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit is so troubling.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed appeared at the historic church alongside Congressman Jim Clyburn, under the leadership of Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard, head of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the largest predominantly Black Pentecostal denomination in the United States.

This was not simply a matter of opening church doors to a political discussion. A church of such historic significance, led by a bishop with enormous spiritual influence, provided a prominent platform to a candidate whose rhetoric about Israel and the Jewish people has raised profound concerns.

A church must understand the responsibility that comes with its platform. When a political figure makes statements that cross the line between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy and the delegitimization of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination, religious leaders cannot simply look the other way.

Abdul El-Sayed has repeatedly characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, described the Israeli government as being as evil as Hamas, and questioned the future of Israel as a Jewish state. He has also repeatedly connected American support for Israel to domestic economic problems, including the cost of healthcare, education and childcare.

The issue became even more apparent during his November 2 interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes. Asked directly whether Israel has a right to exist, El-Sayed answered yes, but qualified his answer by saying that the future of Israel should be determined through an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, whether through two states or one shared state.

For the Jewish people, Israel is not simply another political issue. It is their historic homeland and the realization of their right to national self-determination. That right should not be treated as something that requires the approval of others or can be made conditional on a particular political arrangement.

There is a difference between criticizing an Israeli government and questioning the legitimacy of the Jewish people’s national existence. That distinction matters, and Christian leaders should understand it.

Consider the political advertisement released by Rebellion PAC in support of El-Sayed. It depicts a husband and wife shopping for groceries. The wife tells her husband they must put the eggs back because they have set aside seven dollars for killing Palestinians.

Although the advertisement was produced by an outside political organization rather than El-Sayed’s campaign, its message reflects a deeply troubling narrative that has also appeared in his own political rhetoric.

The message is that American families are struggling because America supports Israel. It turns the Jewish state into a scapegoat for the economic difficulties of ordinary Americans.

For centuries, Jews have been blamed for society’s problems, accused of controlling economies and held collectively responsible for hardship. The language may change, but the underlying pattern is painfully familiar.

Imagine a political figure associated with the Ku Klux Klan being invited to address one of America’s most historic Black churches after making statements blaming Black Americans for destroying the country. Imagine that person being welcomed, given a platform and introduced before the congregation without the church’s leadership first addressing the hateful rhetoric.

Would anyone accept that?

Would Bishop Sheard consider it an ordinary political appearance? Would the church’s leadership remain silent?

The outrage would be immediate, and rightly so.

The same moral standard must apply when rhetoric targeting the Jewish people is given a platform in the Church. Antisemitism must not be excused, minimized or treated as an acceptable political position simply because it is directed at Jews.

I know the destructive power of hatred firsthand. I grew up in a home where hatred was not hidden. My father hated both Jews and Black people. He would say, “The Blacks are ruining the country, and the Jews are running it.”

When I was eleven years old, I tried to defend my Jewish mother from my father’s abuse. He responded by strangling me. I have never forgotten that moment.

I learned early what happens when hatred takes root in a person’s heart. I know that racism and antisemitism are not simply words or political talking points. They destroy lives, families and communities. They begin with accusations, grow through normalization and become even more dangerous when those who have the authority to challenge them choose silence.

The Black and Jewish communities should understand this better than most.

For generations, Black and Jewish Americans stood together in the struggle for civil rights, religious freedom and human dignity. Jewish Americans supported the Civil Rights Movement. Black pastors and Christian leaders have stood with the Jewish people and the nation of Israel through some of their darkest hours.

That relationship is not merely political. It is deeply rooted in the biblical story. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is central to the Christian faith. The Scriptures teach Christians to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The Jewish people are woven into the very foundation of Christianity.

Approximately 500 African-American pastors and leaders, including representatives from the Church of God in Christ, are in Israel this month, walking the land, experiencing its history, meeting its people, and strengthening relationships that transcend politics. Their presence is a powerful reminder that the relationship between Black Christian leaders and the Jewish people is alive and strong. One pastor’s decision or one political appearance should never be allowed to define an entire denomination.

But precisely because this relationship matters, the leadership of COGIC must speak.

Bishop J. Drew Sheard is not simply another pastor. As Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, he carries enormous spiritual authority and moral responsibility.

When a church opens its doors to a political candidate during an election campaign, it provides more than a physical location. It provides legitimacy, visibility and access to a congregation that trusts its spiritual leadership.

The November 1 appearance deserves an honest explanation. Why was El-Sayed welcomed into this historic church and given a platform alongside prominent political leaders without a clear public response to the statements about Israel that have so deeply concerned the Jewish community?

A church cannot claim to stand against hatred while remaining silent when rhetoric targeting the Jewish people is given its blessing through the platform it provides.

Bishop Sheard and the leadership of COGIC must publicly affirm that antisemitism has no place in their denomination. They must make clear that criticism of Israeli government policy is not a license to demonize the Jewish people, question their right to self-determination or blame Israel for America’s domestic problems.

This is not a partisan issue. Congresswoman Haley Stevens has also publicly challenged El-Sayed over the advertisement and his rhetoric about Israel. Her intervention demonstrates that concern about antisemitism transcends political affiliation.

Congressman Jim Clyburn’s participation in the November 1 gathering also deserves serious consideration. His presence alongside El-Sayed gave the event additional political weight. Political leaders must understand that the platforms they share communicate values and confer legitimacy. They cannot ignore the broader message their participation sends.

I am a Republican. My commitment to confronting antisemitism, however, is not a Republican position. It is a moral obligation. Fighting hatred against Jews should never be reduced to a partisan talking point, just as fighting racism against Black Americans must never depend on political affiliation.

I am not asking the Church of God in Christ to endorse Israel’s government, a political party or any particular candidate. I am asking its leaders to uphold the values they preach.

The Church of God in Christ has an extraordinary legacy. Its pastors have preached the Gospel, served their communities, stood against injustice and carried the message of Christ across generations. That legacy must not be compromised for political convenience.

The answer should be clear: denounce antisemitism. Reject the demonization of Israel. Affirm the dignity, security and right to self-determination of the Jewish people. And explain why a platform of such spiritual significance was extended to a candidate whose statements have raised such serious concerns.

The prophet Amos declared, “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24).

Justice cannot be selective. We cannot condemn hatred when it is directed against one people and excuse it when it is directed against another.

The Black church has too much history, too much spiritual authority and too much moral influence to remain silent.

The Jewish people know what happens when the world looks away. Christians should never become another voice looking away.

A church must never become a platform for hatred. And silence is not neutrality when hatred is given a platform.